A Desolate Lie
by Icybun34
Summary: You can be loyal not only to a person...but to a lie, a creation made by your subliminal self. CONTAINS: angst, an OC but i swear that she's no mary-sue! and slight ItachixOC if you squint DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto... sadly


When Haruhi was a mere child, her family had been killed, for no reason other that they were peasants loitering the barren streets of their village. Food was hard to get and it would be better with less mouths to feed. And so, for no reason other than pure selfishness and survival of the fittest, her family was slain.

Haruhi was barely three when this had happened, and had hidden in the nearest trash can, watching her kin's blood shed with her corrupted obsidian eyes. It was these eyes that drew Uchiha Fugaku.

Fugaku was traveling to a far away village to renew their peace treaty when he was met with a pair of harsh calculating midnight eyes. These eyes watched him with a blank hawkish appearance that seemed to be processing the head Uchiha.

Never had Fugaku ever felt inferior, but right now… it was become rather unbearable. She looked at him so… _condescendingly._ This ragged peasant, a child of the streets, staring at the Head of the Uchiha Police Force as if she was _better _than him!?!

Fugaku walked over, stoic mask in place, and asked "Who are you child?" His harsh tone did nothing to deter her answer.

"Keiji Haruhi." She answered bitterly as she stared him down, her shredded clothes stirring in the cold wind.

Fugaku was surprised at the superiority that reigned in her voice and he stared at her, debating whether or not to just leave the scornful child alone. Haruhi sneered, guessing his actions and said "It's not polite to ask for someone's name and not give your own in return." Fugaku blinked and said haughtily "Uchiha Fugaku."

The girl looked thoughtful for a minute before asking "And what has brought you to our damned village, Uchiha?" It was only then as she asked this, that Fugaku realized something. That everyone was now staring at them, whispering among themselves as they guessed as to why he was here.

Fugaku straightened, not used to having his actions questioned and said "I'm here to renew the peace treaty between your village and Konohagakure no Sato." The girl laughed, scornfully arrogant, and said "Why? What has our village got that you feel requires a treaty? Afraid of the exiled taking over? You clearly know nothing of this place, do you?"

She rolled her eyes and said "Treaty or not, my village is not as foolish as to agree if you were to call on us as allies in a war. My village needs food not bloodshed." Fugaku listened to the child and asked "And how do you know this, Keiji? You are but a child, are you not?"

The girl's obsidian orbs hardened "War forces you to grow up." Seeing the hardened gaze of the young girl that resembled much of Itachi's, Fugaku smirked "I have a proposition for you, Keiji." The young girl sneered "I bet you do."

^&^&^

He had saved her.

Though hardened and ignorant at the time, Haruhi couldn't deny that the head Uchiha had indeed spared her from an undesirably fate. She owed him her very existence and she knew it.

Perhaps that was why she was so terribly loyal to the Uchiha's memory, refusing to think anything bad of the fallen clan. They had saved her, restored her as a human and loved her without any reason requiring them to do so.

"I do not believe you."

Itachi's smirk was grim as she stood, her black eyes fiercely defiant as she readied herself to leave.

Itachi laughed bitterly as she dressed quickly "Otou-san used to say that we were one and the same. What has happened to us Haru-chan?" Haruhi flinched at the familiarity in the name and said sullenly "We chose our paths, Itachi-san. Our destinies don't appear to be entwined."

Itachi sat up, catching her wrist as she turned for the door "Won't you ever believe me, Haruhi? Will you ever try to truly see?" She could see the pain in his eyes; hear the hurt in his broken voice.

Still, she slid her arm out of his grasp and picked up the rest of her belongings "_We assume that what we believe is the truth_. You said that yourself Itachi-san." "The purpose of those words was not intended in the way for which you're using it." "Is it ever?"

Itachi was silent, the defeat reflecting off of his tortured eyes. Haruhi stared at him, wishing vainly for the days where worries were forgotten and those eyes shone with wonder and intelligence.

"Do you ever wonder if they are truly worthy of your loyalty?" It was his final question, his last chance to help her realize the truth. Haruhi sighed, looking at the man that she had spent so much of her existence with.

"I could never allow myself to question where my loyalties lay." Haruhi said impassively "Otherwise the fear would consume me. The fear that everything I had was fake… that my existence has been nothing but a tool to them, a fabrication created to cover the despairing truth. I-I wouldn't be able bear that."

She turned quickly and left. And as Itachi watched her go, a desolate tear escaped his eye as he whispered "But that's what it was..."

_You can be loyal not only to a person...but to a lie, a creation made by your subliminal self._


End file.
